Ecological aspects of breeding and genetic rice research

Currently, the food security in the Russian Federation can be provided only with the steady development of the agricultural production. Rice is one of the oldest plants cultivated by man and the main food for more than a half of the world's population. Nowadays, its crops take an area of 160 million hectares (FAO data). The rice production is about 740 million tons. The demand for rice increases annually, and according to the FAO forecast, by 2020 the world production will no longer have been able fully to satisfy it. In our country, recently the rice production has steadily increased from 30-40 kg/ha in 1996-2000 to 60-62 kg/ha in 2015-2016. However, at the same time, despite all measures taken, rice production volumes are still of very high costs. In the future the main principle for the survival of rice farms and the whole rice industry should be not only the transition to cheaper, economically feasible and environmentally safe rice-growing systems, but also an adaptive strategy for the intensification of rice production. This is the aim of scientists from many countries, especially the scientists from All-Russia Rice Research Institute who have contributed much to improve the efficiency of breeding and genetic research.